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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · land · bear · coach · pass · court · bank · mine

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. land — ground
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. court — for sport
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. court — of law
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. land — a country
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. court — of a king
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bear — the animal
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com